Wednesday, October 13, 2010

What Time Is It? Mine Rescue,

I just learned something new, if you want to know what time it is in another country, you can go to Google and type in “What time is it in (name of country)”. If its a big country the town might be a good idea too, i.e. its not the same time in Vancouver as it is in Kitchener although we are in the same country. This tip came from Worldstart who send out a computer news and tips email regularly. I have a clock programme saved in my bookmarks, but this is much easier.

They are supposed to be starting to pull up the Chilean miners today, what a terrible ordeal these men have endured which is also going to have a terrible climax by being pulled up a hole in a capsule. It could take 15 minutes to an hour per man. Medics from the surface will be going down to assess in what order the men should make the ascent. Sorry, you wouldn’t catch me going down there, no matter what. Not that I would fit in the capsule LOL. There is an interesting article from CBC yesterday http://tinyurl.com/24lbyp9 which gives a lot more detail of the whole rescue effort. One will just have to hope and pray all goes well. I personally cannot imagine what the first 17 days must have been like before anyone made contact with them, nor can I imagine what these trips up the tunnel will be like either. At the time of writing the current report is that 10 of the miners have now been rescued. That’s great news.

Tomorrow I have to go for my CT scan because of my vascular problems. Apparently, I have to drink something prescribed three times before I go, twice today and once tomorrow and I am not allowed to have breakfast unless I have it at 6 p.m. Being diabetic this concerns me although they have said I can drink some orange juice. Dunno if I can heave myself out of bed early enough to eat. I have no idea what the liquid is that I have to drink, I can’t pick it up at the pharmacy until after 10 this morning. I have a nasty feeling it is going to be something horrid, these things usually are.

By the way, I think summer has come back again. I don’t know if this is too early to be called an Indian Summer, but the weather has been beautiful lately. Even the balloons have been flying and that is unusual in October.

Eating Well are promoting comfort foods made healthy this week and I liked the sound of this pot roast. Its a little bit different.

Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions

This recipe is reminiscent of a pot roast made with onion-soup mix, but the flavors are true and pure --and nobody misses the excess sodium. (For a slow-cooker variation, see below.)

10 servings,

Ingredients

1 4-pound beef chuck roast, (see Ingredient note), trimmed of fat

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, turning from time to time, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in coffee and vinegar; bring to a simmer. Return the beef to the pot and spoon some onions over it. Cover and transfer to the oven.

Braise the beef in the oven until fork-tender but not falling apart, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer beef to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, skim fat from the braising liquid; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with pepper. Carve the beef and serve with gravy.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Ingredient Note: Although it is not the leanest cut of beef, chuck is still our choice for pot roast because it doesn't dry out during braising. You will find pockets of fat as you carve it, but they are easy to remove.

Slow-Cooker Variation: In Step 2, transfer the browned beef to a slow cooker. In Step 3, use just 1/2 cup coffee. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker. In Step 4, cover and cook until beef is tender, 4 1/2 to 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. In Step 5, pour the liquid into a medium saucepan and continue as directed.

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About Me

Happily married for 45 years, originally from the UK, living in Canada now. Interested in cooking, reading and wildlife conservation. Read more at http://satimaflavell.blogspot.ca/2009/02/fresh-fields-reading-and-recipes.html